Richer retrieval practice

 Event 

Richer retrieval practice

About this webinar

Retrieval practice is widely used in schools, but this often takes a narrow form of low-stakes quizzes that support easy recall of facts but have limited potential for building rich concepts and schemas that are relevant and meaningful for pupils.

To address the challenge, Bath Spa University researchers and teachers have been collaborating to design and pilot resources for ‘rich retrieval’.

We've developed a range of rich retrieval strategies that we call ‘5Cs and a Q’ (Compare, Contrast, Categorise, Connect, Create and Question). This webinar will explain these strategies and share the experiences of teachers who have been using them in their classrooms. Teachers who have used them have fed back that they:   

• Take 5-10 minutes and are easy to adapt and use;  
• Support quick and confident use of new vocabulary; and 
• Help pupils to make connections between ideas.

So far, the resources have been focused on supporting Key Stage 2 pupils in consolidating and elaborating science concepts to develop rich, interconnected knowledge. The resources that have been developed will ultimately be free to download. We'll explain how to access them and use them in the classroom.  

The strategies have potential to be used creatively across the curriculum and adapted for different ages. We're still working on developing and trialling them, and there may be opportunities to participate in future trials.  

Webinar aims

• To explore what is (and isn't) known about retrieval practice.
• To introduce repertoire of strategies for retrieval practice that both consolidate and elaborate children’s knowledge.
• To share the experiences of teachers who have been using these strategies in KS2 primary science.  

Key takeaways

• Insights into how retrieval practice works  
• A range of strategies for richer retrieval practice  
• Access to a bank of freely available resources for KS2 primary science

About the speaker

Kendra McMahon was a primary teacher and deputy head teacher before moving to Bath Spa University to become a lecturer and researcher.

Her particular area of expertise is Science in the primary school with a focus on classroom talk and formative assessment.

Most recently she's been considering how we should respond to the international growth of educational neuroscience and English policy interpretations of cognitive science. 

About this series

BSUEd Insights is a monthly CPD series for education practitioners on a range of topics.